Becoming Cliffy: actor Kevin Harrington on the unlikely sporting hero

On Sunday night, a telemovie celebrating the unlikely sporting hero Cliff Young from Beech Forest - south of Colac - will screen on the ABC. Cliff was a potato farmer who won the inaugural Sydney to Melbourne ultramarathon at the age of 61 in 1983. Actor Kevin Harrington plays the lead in 'Cliffy' and spoke with ABC Local Radio's Dominic Brine this week.

Kevin says Cliffy was well-known for his running style - that was more like a shuffle - and for running in gumboots.

"The shuffle is the product of the fact that he did run around the farm, and if you've got gumboots on in heavy ground you do have to slide your feet along like a skiier, or they'd flop around and fall off. So the running style came from the environment.

"As it freakishly - or luckily - turned out, it's a running style that other ultra-marathon runners have adopted since, because it's very easy on the joints. You're absorbing a lot of the impact with your backside and thigh muscles because you're sitting lower to the ground."

Kevin says Cliffy was passionate about running for a long time before deciding to compete.

"He did running as a kind of means of transport and enjoyment for years before he considered doing it competitively and I found that the most interesting thing, the fact that someone does something extreme like that just in and of itself."

He says it was a very satisying role for him, and not only because it was a lead role.

"I've never had to prepare quite so thoroughly or arduously for something before, so I found that a great challenge.

"First thing I had to lose a lot of weight: I was 80 kilos and I said I'd lose 10 but I ended up losing 15 before we started and another two or three doing it.

"Then I had to work on his voice and his shuffle, which I had help with. I had three sessions with a fellow named Martin Noonan who was one of the original organisers of the race, so over a month or so - with a video camera - we put together the run or the style of the run piece by piece."

The 90-minute telemovie was shot around Albury-Wodonga, but Kevin says he visited Cliffy's old stomping grounds in the Colac area with people who had been close to him to get to know him better.

"They were very generous in giving their time."

Kevin says he's excited by the final product.

"My ego aside, it's a well-told story about someone you care about.

"We didn't take the mickey out of him, and we shared the story authentically, I hope.